Locks for locking a refrigerator or freezer door are old in the art, and generally involve a locking member attached to the open end of the door and a lock receiving member attached to the refrigerator/freezer body and aligned with the locking member. The locking member is typically a hook and the receiving member is typically a bar to which the hook interacts. Typically means such as a spring are included to extract a key which might be inadvertently left in the lock.
General Electric upright freezer model no. CA21DPC utilizes a freezer door lock including a locking member located inside the outer edge of the open side of the refrigerator door and a receiving member located within the body of the door in alignment with the locking member. The locking member has a rotatable latch which interacts with a bar located in the refrigerator body in the receiving member. The locking member has a input stem with a external spline surrounded by a outwardly spring biasing member. A key utilizing an internal spline is matingly engaged with the input stem. The key interacts with the spring biasing member of the locking member which ejects the key from the lock if it is inadvertently left in the lock.
The above refrigerator door locks do not adequately prevent a child from being inadvertently locked into the freezer.
The above refrigerator door locks are also subject to damage if the door is closed when the lock is left in an open position.
Prior art refrigerator door locks are prone to damage when an attempt is made to open the door when the door is unknowingly locked.
Further, the above refrigerator door locks do not provide an accommodation for the door and the body of the freezer when the resiliency of the plastic door seal varies with temperature.
Also, the above refrigerator door locks do not encompass a sufficient locking action to properly pull the door toward the body of the refrigerator.
Prior art refrigerator door locks are constructed internally to the door and the body of the freezer and as such are not suitable for retrofit or repair of an existing refrigerator lock.
Prior art refrigerator door locks have keys made of a soft ductile material with an internal spline which keys may prematurely wear.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.